Many versions of galvanic switching devices or connectors of different kinds have been known to the art for a number of years. Such switches have been revitalized for use with controllable cross-connectors. The ball switch belongs to this switch category. The requirement for cross-connectors is found in many fields, with the size of such connectors varying from some tens of lines to some tens of thousands of lines and for frequencies between just a few kHz to some hundreds of MHz. The difficulty is found in producing simple units of this kind at low cost and in small volumetric sizes and which are not power consuming after being operated. In many applications, the switches are in operation only a few times each year.
The known switches are normally of the x-y selector type, i.e., selection is effected in two planes, for example the code selector, the coordinate selector, the ball selector or ball switch. In order to enable larger switching or selector networks to be constructed, it is necessary to connect these switches in several stages with the aid of link coupled systems, for instance a system of the kind illustrated in FIG. 1. As will be seen from the Figure, link coupling results in serious problems, such as requiring large quantities of cable, rotation of the links between the various stages, and the provision of different maneuvering devices for manipulation of the various selector modules. Furthermore, in the case of cross-connectors, it is undesirable to differentiate between In and Out as in the FIG. 1 illustration. This can be achieved by coupling i.sub.1 with u.sub.1, and coupling i.sub.2 with u.sub.2, and so on. This results in a so-called folded selector network which may have the configuration shown in FIG. 2. The aforementioned problem prevails, however.
The aforesaid problems can be solved by means of a switch of cubic construction. The cube incorporates several selector stages in a manner which excludes the aforementioned links, i.e., link cabling is not necessary. Rotation of the links has been achieved by utilizing all of the x-y and z-directions, i.e., with the aid of a three-dimensional coupling field with electric contacts in three dimensions. Maneuvering is accomplished by utilizing a selection in three dimensions common for all selector stages in the cube.
The x, y and z-planes have been utilized to form the link-coupled structure and a plurality of selectors in one and the same unit. FIG. 2 illustrates the link coupling structure. This structure can be drawn in a manner of the structure shown in FIG. 3, and a configuration according to FIG. 4 can be obtained by moving the center stages in between the contacts in the first selector stage. Each cross-point may consist of one or more conductors having a contact function, for instance similar to the ball switch or some other maneuverable contact function. It is not necessary to have external access to the links y and z, and consequently all connections to the coupling field are effected from one side. The contact function shall be mechanically bistable.
Switches of the aforedescribed kind are known to the art. One drawback with switches of this kind, however, is that maneuvering of a selected cross-point, i.e., the choice of x, y and z-coordinates, is effected by means of individual maneuvering means for the respective different coordinates. The switch therefore includes a large number of maneuvering means and the switch as a whole is unnecessarily expensive and space consuming. It is not possible to reset the switch quickly and simply, but requires individual maneuvering of all cross-points, therewith taking a long time to reset.